Renaissance Man, Willie Dixon

Willie Dixon, right, of Kankakee, shakes a viewers hand Saturday during the Kankakee Farmers Market in downtown Kankakee. Dixon sells his original paintings and plays the trombone for passers by.

Willie Dixon, of Kankakee, plays the trombone Saturday during the Kankakee Farmers Market in downtown Kankakee. Dixon, a renaissance man, is a painter, playwright and musician. He grew up on the South Side of Chicago and grew to appreciate the importance of the trombone in Dixieland music.

“I have been playing for 13 years,” Dixon said. “But thats not long at all, most I know have been playing for 30 years or more.” Dixon touched on how important an understanding of art and history is to society and is happy to play music for people at the farmers market and sell his painting there.